Joint statement on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Council of Europe and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) celebrate today the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention has gone a long way to improving the protection of children, who are particularly vulnerable and therefore deserve special protection by all actors.Twenty years on, there is still a need for continued and concerted governmental action, as well as action by International Organisations and civil society to ensure the respect, protection, and promotion of the rights of the child.

This includes not only the adoption of legislation, but also ensuring the enjoyment and fulfilment of the rights of the child in everyday life, including child participation and children's access to justice. Especially in times of economic crisis, there is an increased need to protect children as a particularly vulnerable group. Practical measures are necessary, therefore, to ensure the well-being and adequate development of children.

Guaranteeing the fulfilment of children's rights everywhere is a moral, social and legal imperative that should be borne in mind in all circumstances and the Convention on the rights of the Child has proven to be a key instrument in the endeavour. Read more in the Joint statement below.